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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26192374">Charming, To Say The Least</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unluckitty/pseuds/unluckitty'>unluckitty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Magic, First Meetings, Ice Cream Parlors, M/M, Meet-Cute, Summer Vacation, thats it thats the fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:20:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26192374</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unluckitty/pseuds/unluckitty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Talking dog, ice cream that makes you happy, and an extremely intriguing magic boy. Maybe this small town isn't so dull after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Charming, To Say The Least</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The bell at the ice cream store door dings for the 16th time that day (Donghyuck’s counting). </p><p> </p><p>“Welcome to The Parlour,” he says, uninterested as usual and without looking up from behind the counter. </p><p>“Any recommendations?” the newcomer asks, and he looks up to an unfamiliar face. The boy looks about his age, and is gazing at the obnoxiously pastel decorations and blinking fairy lights. </p><p>“Clearly you haven’t read the label. Or the names...,” Donghyuck stands up reluctantly, but peers over the counter, curious. Surprisingly, the newcomer doesn’t seem to be freaked by the unnervingly magical atmosphere his parents are sure to turn on every morning- he lived <em> upstairs </em>for goodness sake, and still wasn’t used to it himself. </p><p>“I have now. And my question still stands,” the boy looks right back at him, a cotton candy smile playing at his lips. </p><p>“Well, Happiness is always a best-seller. Wouldn’t recommend having too much of it though, as the label says,” Donghyuck states. </p><p>“I’ll take a scoop of that then. How much?”</p><p>“40,” he summons the spoon whilst opening the register. The money is handed to him and a singular bubble is released from the machine as he closes it; it pops on the boy’s nose just as it hands the cone over. </p><p>“Enjoy,” Donghyuck recites, about to sit back down. </p><p>“Will do!” And the boy has left.</p><p> ✴</p><p>“Welcome...back?” Donghyuck squints from behind the counter at the customer who appears to be the new one from yesterday, except his memory is shit.</p><p>“Thanks. Any other recommendations?” New Boy asks. Today he’s brought his dog with him and although technically pets weren’t allowed, Donghyuck would let it slide- it wasn’t like he would be staying for more than a couple minutes. Also, dogs are cute. Better than humans. </p><p>“Hope is also pretty popular.”</p><p>“How is it different from Happiness?” Donghyuck thought for a moment, fiddling with his apron knot. </p><p>“It’s...more subtle. Some bitter notes, I’d say. Also takes longer to kick in.” New Boy nods, peering through the glass at the rainbow tubs. </p><p>“I guess I’ll take that today then.”</p><p>“Great.” The register opens. “May I ask...your name?”</p><p>“His name is Jaemin,” a different voice comes from the floor, and ‘Jaemin’ leans down for a moment and there’s a few muffled protests. He stands back up and apologises. </p><p>“Talking dog? You’ll fit in fine here, in that case. It’s a small place,” Donghyuck hands over his order and even offers a smile at the dog. </p><p>“What’s your name then?” Jaemin asks almost jokingly and is mildly shocked when Donghyuck actually gives it. </p><p>“I see. That Happiness from yesterday was pretty good by the way. The same could not be said for that outfit…” Jaemin eyes him up and down, though oddly it didn’t feel rude. Slightly judgy, yes, but Donghyuck would also judge a guy wearing black pants, black hoodie and pastel pink apron with the store’s bunny logo smack in the middle. </p><p>“I get that a lot from the new ones,” he leans against the counter with his elbows. “What brings you to this humble town then? The magic hypnotise you? The dog told you to? Th-”</p><p>“My dad got a job near by, actually,” Jaemin interrupts with that tactful smile of his. Donghyuck is nearly visibly disappointed, and stands back up properly as he sees one his usuals hovering down the lane. </p><p>“Ah. Well.”</p><p>“I’ll get going then. See you!” Jaemin gathers up the leash and waves goodbye with his ice cream hand. Donghyuck sees him nod politely at one of his usuals, and the door dings again, though he swears Jaemin left a trail of sparkles for a tip. </p><p> </p><p>“Never seen him around before. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you make a friend your age,” the woman says as Donghyuck summons the spoon to take her usual order- 3 quarters Pride and 1 quarter Youth. “Do you see that sweet pink aura? He’s a cookie, for sure.” He chuckles, opening up the register once again. </p><p>“A cookie for sure,” he echoes. </p><p>✴</p><p>It had been a week since Jaemin last came, and Donghyuck is almost worried he’d scared him away. But at last, one sunny afternoon:</p><p>“You wouldn’t happen to have Patience for a flavour, would you?” Jaemin’s nearly out of breath and leaning against the front of the counter. Donghyuck yawns himself fully awake and stands up. </p><p>“We do, in fact, albeit a little low on stock. You want?”</p><p>“Please.”</p><p>“Coming up. Did you not like my recommendations?” he jokes, but Jaemin just silently hands him the money. “Everything okay?”</p><p>“Let’s just say,” he heaves a sigh, “Kids are fucking exhausting.”</p><p>“I mean...true enough,” Donghyuck gives him a tissue to clean the drips of purple from the corners of his lips. </p><p> </p><p>“Hide and seek was a great idea on my part,” Jaemin smuggly says and takes a huge bite from the cone. “Plus that bubble around this place? They’d never dare come near,” he chews, satisfied and still looking oddly endearing; it’s a good choice (for the both of them) of a sleeveless shirt, and although Donghyuck couldn’t quite see without looking weird tip-toeing over the countertop, ripped jeans really suit his slender legs. Damn. </p><p>“You cheater.”<br/>
“Nah, they deserve it after dumping that ice bucket over me earlier.”</p><p>“Ah, so that’s why…” Donghyuck fights a giggle as his eyes wander over to his still slightly damp hair- he’d just assumed it was sweat. The longer he stares, the more he swears it’s changing blue to pink. Jaemin sighs and takes another aggressive bite. </p><p>“Fuck them kids.”</p><p>“Probably shouldn’t.” </p><p>“You can’t tell me what to do,” he points a finger in Donghyuck’s face, making him go cross eyed. ”But perhaps I’ll consider.” As his finger draws back and although Donghyuck knows otherwise, there’s a strangely hypnotising feeling dripping over him; he suddenly wants to drown in it. </p><p>“Yes, do that,” Donghyuck squeaks whilst he pops the last part of the cone in his mouth and brushes his hands together to get rid of lingering crumbs.</p><p>“Well, I shall go back to my babysitting job. I already used the money earnt last time to buy that ice cream anyway.”</p><p>“Implying you’d get another?” Jaemin shrugs and shoots a sparkly smile, as if he <em> knows </em>.</p><p>“Patience has tasted the best so far- try it!”</p><p>✴</p><p>And you could imagine his parents’ shock when Donghyuck insisted on handling the store that weekend too.</p><p>“No really, I can do it, you go rest,” he ushers them upstairs despite their weak protests and brushing aside their sudden praises. </p><p>“Have you started on that summer work?” His mother at least attempts to reason, but Donghyuck waves them inside, repeating that he’d do it ‘later’ (knowing full well that by ‘later’, he meant a day before it was due). Once he’d successfully shut them up, he jogs back down the stairs two at a time, only to see just another usual waiting at the counter, sticking a fallen streamer back up.</p><p>“The normal, old man?” Donghyuck smiles, trying not to sound disappointed. The spoon awakes and readies itself by the grey ‘Self-control’ tub. The customer tut tuts, but motions for the spoon to do its work.</p><p>“What's the young one doing, working on the weekend huh?” Donghyuck sheepishly hands the cup over. ”When I was your age-”</p><p>“Just felt like it,” he breezily replies, a little ruffled by the interrogation. They exchanged their goodbyes and there was the second ring of the day. </p><p> </p><p>But by the thirtieth ring: still no pink hair boy. By the time the bubble turned off: still no boy with the talking dog. By the time of the awakening of mr moon: still not a Jaemin in sight. And it was now, what his parents considered to be, ‘later’. God. </p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck lay awake on the rooftop that night, convinced that no amounts of magic would help him out of this rabbit hole. </p><p>✴</p><p>“Welco- oh my god,” he inhales upon seeing Jaemin himself enter at last three days later. Or at least he thinks it’s him: the addition of glasses and now neon purple hair was hard to get over. Today, he’s also carrying a large book bag and laptop in hand. </p><p>“Do you have Concentration or anything like that?” Jaemin dumps his bag on one of the diner sofas. </p><p>“You name it, we probably have it.”</p><p>“Great. Do you mind if I study here for a bit today? The house is a lil’ too noisy for my liking,” he gestures to his bag and it opens, letting a history book float into his hands. Donghyuck is barely surprised at this point (<em> cute and smart, what kind of world is he from? </em>). </p><p>“Sure. You’ll definitely need this then.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Donghyuck peers over not-so-subtly to make out what it was about, but Jaemin is already holding it out to him, clutching his cone with the other hand. The tops of their head brush slightly as they both lean over it, and a mini tingle shoots down Donghyuck’s spine. Jaemin’s hair fades to more of a magenta. </p><p>“Interesting.”</p><p>“You like it?” Jaemin grins. “I had a feeling you would.” He swiftly tosses the book back onto the table, and Donghyuck tentatively follows him over, glancing over his other books, among them a textbook on organic chemistry, and a surrealist looking novel. He awkwardly hovers around the opposite chair, before Jaemin tugs at his broken sleeve to sit on the opposite chair. </p><p>“Now all you need to do is some ice cream for yourself and it’ll be perfect.”</p><p>“It’s already perfect,” he manages to say as nonchalantly as possible, but it comes out more like a breathless sigh. Jaemin licks his cone into a lilting peak, until blue covers his lips. It matches his now cloud pink hair, and glittering aura. </p><p>Beautiful. </p><p>✴</p><p>“Why would anyone want to get the negative ones? Sadness? Who <em> wants </em>that?” </p><p>“I’ve told my parents that a billion times, but you know. Parents,” Donghyuck shrugs. “So what will it be today?” Jaemin scans over the tubs, his eyes clearly resting on one in particular, but he looks up and says,</p><p>“Surprise me.”</p><p>“I- Wh-” Donghyuck splutters. A plan starts to formulate at the back of head, but as was the usual: thinking properly within a 1 metre radius of Na Jaemin is an impossible task.</p><p>“You heard me,” the money’s held out to him in a ‘take it or leave it’ way that...somehow seems very Jaemin-like. “Just don’t give me Anger or something. I’ve been angry enough lately.”</p><p>“That’s kinda hard to see.”</p><p>“It’s not the prettiest of sights,” Jaemin sits down, head on the table so that he’s facing away from Donghyuck. </p><p>He doesn’t lift it up until there's a gentle touch on his shoulder and a pure white swirl in front of him, topped with pink glitter sprinkles. It gives off an iridescent glow, and Jaemin immediately knows what it is. Clearly Donghyuck does too, as he’s taken a step back but can’t seem to stop staring at it either. They’re both silent. </p><p> </p><p>“Love, huh,” Jaemin says at last, shooting him an over-amused smile. “Interesting choice.”</p><p>“It’s a healthy serving, don’t worry,” Donghyuck quickly follows up, and now can’t pry his eyes away from Jaemin’s once again shifting hair colour that was currently cycling through the rainbow fairly rapidly.</p><p>“Too bad it won’t work on me,” he takes a large bite. </p><p>“Wha-”</p><p>“I mean, I already liked you...damn, this tastes great though.”</p><p>Well. </p><p>“You knew that I...?” Donghyuck asks, incredulous. Jaemin stares up at him with wide, innocent eyes, and he swears if his heart was that ice cream, it would’ve just melted into a puddle of bewilderment. </p><p>“No. But now I do!” he gives a dazzling smile. “So would that mean I’m obliged to ask you out now?” Now it’s an entire <em> lake </em> of bewilderment. Him? Out? Date? </p><p>“I-I mean,” he grips onto the table for support. </p><p>“Yes?” Jaemin prompts. His eyes are window-wide, hopeful. Irresistible. </p><p>“Where to?” Donghyuck finally stammers again, once over the initial shock wave, but Jaemin’s smile simply grows, a stray sprinkle by the corner of his lip. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was written on such a whim lmao I hope you enjoyed it!!</p><p>Plith leave comments and kudos i survive on validation</p></blockquote></div></div>
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